The number of licensed companies organising machine gambling was about 1, 200 at the end of 2004. total number of pay-out machines in hungary was 34, 500 in 2004 and the number of amusement non-pay out ; machines was 6, 500 in 2004. there are two types of gambling arcades in hungary: category i. with money-winning category i and ii machines ; 1, 570 arcades in 2004 versus 1, 358 arcades in 2003 category ii. bars pubs with maximum 2 money-winning category ii machines ; 20, 600 places in 2004 versus 18, 405 places in 2003 and online video poker. Dr robert peard queensland university of technology b.ed primary ; students at queensland university of technology take only one core foundations unit in quantitative literacy. one week is devoted to basic introductory probability. however, they are able to select an elective mathematics content subject in probability which extends topics in this field. many of the students enter this subject with little mathematical background and research by the author is being conducted to determine the most effective way of presenting a unit in more advanced probability to such students. this paper describes some of the difficulties encountered and part of the research examining the use of intuitive, frequentist and axiomatic approaches to probability in the solution of unfamiliar problems requiring a decision making process. implications for the teaching of probability are drawn. the use of probability in decision making is a topic that is now included specifically in many secondary school mathematics curriculums including those of queensland, australia queensland studies authority, 2004 ; . the concept of mathematical expectation has a variety of practical applications and is central to the application of probability in many decision making situations. earlier research by the author peard, 1995 ; demonstrated that relatively sophisticated applications employing the concept of mathematical expectation can be performed by students with relatively little mathematical background. the author has consequently developed a mathematical content elective unit in probability for b.ed. primary preservice teachers at qut based on this research. recent curriculum developments in school mathematics have seen a much greater emphasis on the role of probability in the classroom worldwide borovcnik & peard, 1997 ; . in australia, "chance and data" features as a strand in the national statement on mathematics for australian schools, australian education council, 1991 ; and the queensland curriculum includes both topics in all years from 4 to 12 queensland studies authority, 2004 ; . however, instruction in probability has been described as "a very difficult task, fraught with ambiguity and illusion" garfield & ahlgren, 1988, p. 57 ; , and many difficulties in its instruction have been reported in the australian literature see, for example, peard, 1996, 2001; truran, 1997; watson & kelly, 2004; way, 1997 ; . the content of the unit the unit begins with an informal approach, building on the students' intuitive understandings, interest in and familiarity with probability without assuming any prerequisite knowledge other than the ability to convert fractions to decimals and percents, fractional equivalence and basic operations. one of the major objectives of the unit is to ensure that the students do not hold any of the misconceptions about probability that are reported as common. these misconceptions, including the "gamblers' fallacy", are not confined to naive subjects and are prevalent among or poker odds.